Bentley 'ute' to sell down under

Marque anoraks look away now as Aussie sale house Shannons has the ultimate pickup (or 'ute' in Aussie slang) on offer at its upcoming international Motor Show auction on 10 July, in Sydney: a 1956 Bentley S1 'utility'.

And it's fare to say this Bentley S1 is a rare beast. After being delivered to its first London owner via JAck Barclay in Mayfair it was later sold to dealer in New South Wales.

It was snapped up by an eccentric local aristocrat (the Right Honourable 6th Earl of Stradbroke) who commissioned the S1's conversion from stately saloon to utility vehicle, complete with a bespoke load bay on wood.

Recently donated by the Earl to a Melbourne school, the Bentley is being sold to raise funds for a new library at the school. It'll go under the hammer without reserve and Shannons is expecting it to make $22,000-$32,000 AUD (w £14.5k-£21k).

Just seeing that famous 'Flying B' slice through the air as you lug farming equipment and the odd sheep across the outback is surely the epitome of sheer class?